The exercise:
Write about: a farewell.
Final day tomorrow. I'm trying to write a farewell to send to coworkers I consider friends and I am struggling. Probably over thinking it. Trying to stick with it, as I feel as though if I leave without sending something along the lines of what I'm currently attempting that I will most definitely regret it.
3 comments:
Generally you just need to be clear in your own mind what you're trying to say. If you expect never to see them again then you might write something that expresses what working with them has meant so that they have something to remember you by (e.g. "Hey, you all remember that time we accidentally burned all the tax records for 1982? Good times, guys, good times.") And if you're hoping/intending to see them again, then write something that indicates you'd like that ("Hey, now that the police have caught up with us over the tax-record arson, let's all get together in the prison canteen on Thursday and catch up!"). But picking out a couple of moments that brought you all together over your time working together is easy and friendly :)
Enjoy your last day, by the way :)
A farewell
"Isn't magic all the same?" said Fabian, the words slipping out without his brain checking them for sense first. Rystin shook his head, the sense of sadness growing stronger.
"That's a profound philosophical question," he said, "that no-one I know of has ever been able to answer. Certainly there is something called magic, and there are different ways of using it. Whether they all use the same thing is an unanswered question. Why there should be different ways of using it is another, but arguments are made that iron can be used as ore, as metal, and as an alloy and is one necessarily better than another?"
"I... don't know," said Fabian. "What are you trying to use it for?"
Rystin's face brightened just a little. "See? It may be that magic is like that; humans use it one way, elves another, and... well, no and."
"No, you were going to say something," prompted Fabian. He felt a little stunned at the idea that there were different kinds of magics. "Dread did tell me that there were different schools of magic, is it like that? But what were you going to say?"
Rystin's eyes flickered to the side briefly as though he was thinking hard. "Creature magic," he said slowly. "Things like..."
"The umber hulk? The Maestro said it took mages to capture one."
"Yes." Rystin nodded, smiling a little. "Yes, the umber hulk has native magic. That unnerves people though, when they think about it."
"Oh, I'm not that easy to unnerve," said Fabian, pushing the idea of an angry Cass, or an angry Maestro, or an angry daughter, or an angry ex-wife -- damnit, all of them! -- to the back of his queue of thoughts. "Running the Museum does that to you."
"Of course," said Rystin quietly. "I am sure it does. But to your other question, the way humans use magic splits into a number of sub-ways. Not as many as you might think, but there are definitely three major branches. Elves have something similar, but with a different focus. And creatures seem to use their magic single-mindedly."
"Really? I thought Dread told me there were about twenty different courses on his curriculum," said Fabian. "And he's just a necromancer. What is it?" Rystin had reacted sharply to the word necromancer, dropping a delicate-looking tool on the bench and shivering.
"I've just realised I have an appointment approaching," said Rystin, retrieving the tool and checking it for damage. Fabian tried to make eye-contact but the rust-elf was intent on the tool, his fingers smoothing the metal and his sharp, opaque nails pressing and hunting for nicks or damage. "It is impolite of me to an extreme, but I think I must ask you if you would mind leaving so that I can meet my client?"
"That's not rude," said Fabian. "Quite the oppo -- oh wait. This is a cultural thing isn't it? They give us a training course on this every year. Ah, then, uh, I'm very sorry to have importuned on your time like this. You invited to show me your workshop and here I am, hanging around unsolicited and not even buying anything. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience I'm causing you."
Rystin blinked. "You sound quite sincere," he said.
"I usually come near the top of the class," said Fabian, who was always the top of the class. Eight years of marriage had perfected his ability to apologise his way out of situations he hadn't even known he was in.
"I see," said Rystin. "Well, since we are agreed that we must part I shall not keep you longer. If you want to know more about elf-magic you could visit the Temple of Remedna. Anyone there would be happy to talk to you."
"Do you have someone I could ask for?" Fabian felt a moment of panic at the idea of having to walk into a strange place and ask for help.
"No, just go there and ask anyone," said Rystin. "Now, please, if you will excuse me...?"
[Hopefully your farewell isn't as prolonged as Fabian's has been...]
Greg - hah! Well, I managed to do something along the lines of what you suggested without reading your advice until after the fact. And it did seem to be well received, so I think I'll call that a parting win.
These two have a complicated relationship - already! - and I highly enjoy watching it play out. The reaction to Dread being a necromancer was an interesting tidbit that I hope you'll delve into at a later point.
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